Twitter Reacts to Ireland’s Historic Abortion Vote

On Friday, voters in Ireland took to the polling stations to cast their ballots on whether the country should repeal the eighth amendment of its constitution, which effectively bans abortions. Results for the referendum started coming in on Saturday—by the afternoon, the final vote was at 66.4 percent for the repeal and 33.6 percent against—and folks around the globe celebrated what could be considered Ireland’s first step towards allowing legal and safe abortions.

Constituents gathered at Dublin Castle in the nation’s capital, taking a moment to honor Savita Halappanavar, a dentist who died of sepsis in 2012 during a miscarriage, during which she’d asked several times for an abortion (doctors wouldn’t administer one as they could still hear a fetal heartbeat). Her death was considered a catalyst for the movement to repeal the eighth amendment, her image becoming a part of the campaign for a “yes” vote.

Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist, died in 2012 due to the complications of a septic miscarriage at 17 weeks’ gestation.

And today, almost six years later she became the face of the revolution that overthrew Ireland ‘s abortion laws.

Good job done Ireland.

When the results were announced, Taoiseach (that’s Prime Minister to those of us outside Ireland) Leo Varadkar gave an incredible speech, remarking: “Today is an historic day for Ireland. A quiet revolution has taken place, and a great act of democracy. A hundred years since women got the right to vote. Today, we as a people have spoken. And we say that we trust women and we respect women and their decisions.”

“Today I believe we have voted for the next generation,” he continued. “We have voted to look reality in the eye and we did not blink. We have voted to provide compassion where there was once a cold shoulder, and to offer medical care where once we turned a blind eye.”

RTÉ News

✔@rtenews

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said today is a historic day for Ireland, and that he believes the country has voted for the next generation

Across the globe, many chimed in via social media with their thoughts on Ireland’s historic referendum. Here are some of the most powerful, poignant reactions to the repeal vote from Twitter.

Ireland Votes to Legalize Abortion in Blow to Catholic Conservatism

The referendum was the latest sign of a drift toward liberalism in a country that only recently installed a gay man as prime minister and allowed same-sex marriage.

…as well as reminders about the collective power of women at the polls.

Rebecca Moynihan

✔@RebeccaMoy

My whole adult life I thought I had a minority position on abortion. Turns out I didn’t. Thank you Ireland for your compassion for women #repealedthe8th

Lindsey Kelk

✔@LindseyKelk

A polite and timely reminder to the ‘pro-life’ people, this doesn’t mean doctors are going to be running around the streets of Ireland, forcing pregnant women to surrender to abortions. This gives humans a right to choose what to do with their own body. Hurrah! #RepealThe8th

Congratulations to the organizers and the people of Ireland for this historic victory for women’s health. Every woman deserves safe, affordable access to comprehensive reproductive health care — including abortion. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44256152 …

As the Republic of Ireland votes to overturn its ban on abortion, in Northern Ireland women are still unable to have an abortion- it’s illegal. The once socially conservative South is now more liberal than part of the UK. #irelandreferendum

Feeling so emotional today about Ireland’s vote to #RepealThe8th. Sometimes you forget what good news feels like, that people’s minds change, that an argument for dignity and rights can still win out in a huge way